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Reveille - Third Annual Business Summit Connects Students with Entrepreneurs

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Third Annual Business Summit Connects Students with Entrepreneurs

By Sam Ausdemore

By Sam Ausdemore-->

Published: Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Updated: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 19:03

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The Nebraska Wesleyan Department of Business, Accounting, and Economics hosted the third annual Executive Summit last Friday. The summit brings in local business executives for various panel sessions to answer students' questions ranging from the economic outlook, to what they look for in potential employees, to how they ended up in their professional capacity. In addition, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce again sponsored a luncheon that allowed students and business professionals to network and interact in a more casual atmosphere. This year Department chair Chris Swift decided to put more of an emphasis on entrepreneurship, bringing in dozens o speakers who have thrived starting their own businesses, or being part of a successful start-up.

Of particular interest to current and future of NWU students, and a common theme among the sessions I could attend, were two bills that are currently winding their way through the Nebraska Unicameral. The first bill would encourage companies to hire students in an internship capacity, and then reward those companies with a tax benefit. Not only would this allow current students to gain practical, hands-on knowledge of their field, but companies are allowed to hedge against one of the most common complaints about interns: they invest money in training and teaching someone only to see them go elsewhere. The State of Nebraska also benefits in stemming "brain drain," or talented Nebraskans leaving the state to find gainful employment…after the taxpayers spend millions subsidizing their education.

The second bill of interest would encourage the development of what are called "angel investors," private citizens, or groups thereof, who fulfill the function of venture capitalists, allowing entrepreneurs and start-ups access to capital that banks and traditional sources of credit that may be difficult to access. The benefit to these angel investors is again a tax credit, but, as many of the panelists could attest, the difference to a business owner could be infinitely greater. With a healthier environment for small business, then, the job market for Wesleyan graduates would remain attractive.

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Great !!!!!

Posted via email from jg2010's posterous

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